Belt-tightener



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. F. RADFORD.

BELT TIGHTENER.

Patented Oct. 16,1894.

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WITNESSES INVENIEIR No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. B. F. RADPORD.

BELT TIGHTBNER.

No. 527,506. Patented Oct. 16,1894.

I 7 MW UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. RADFORD, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

BELT-TIGHTEN ER. y

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 527,506, dated October 16,1894.

Application filed June 15,1891- Serial Ila-396,873. (No model.)

. tion.

The devices of this invention for tightening belts consist of ahorizontal tubular shaft on.

which a pulley is fixed, bearing-blocks for the opposite end-portions of said tubular-shaft,

two parallel stationary horizontal guide-rods,

one located beyond each end and in planes at right angles tothe axis of the pulley and each rod at its opposite end suitably supported and carrying one of said bearingblocks, a shaft or. spindle extending lengthwise through and projecting from said tubulair-shaft, a pinion wheel or wheels, preferably two, one fixed on each end-portion of said spindle, a fixed horizontal toothed rackbar or bars for each of, and each in suitable position to be meshed with one of said pinions, means to rotate and means to hold said pinion shaft against and to release it for rotation, all as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 is a vertical section, line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view. t p

In the drawings, A is a pulley held on the central portion of a tubular horizontal shaft B which, at its opposite end-portions B B is supported and confined against lengthwise movement in bearings B B of blocks B 8*, supported and free to move along separate stationary horizontal rods B B", one beyond and passing across the pulley at each of its sides and each at its opposite end-portions supported in stationary standards B B and 13 5B joined, those on the same side of the pulley, by a bed-plate B 0 is a shaft or spindle extending through a and projecting from the opposite ends of the tubular shaft B of the pulley. The diameter of shaftO is slightly less than that of the bore of shaft B but the shaft B at its opposite end-portions is adapted to bear and it is free to rotate on shaft 6 as also shaft 0 to rotate within it. p

D, D are similar pinions held on the opposite projecting end-portions of the shaft (3 and each is in position to mesh with a similar horizontal toothed rack-bar E, E fixed on the stationary standards supporting the rods B B", as before described.

F is a hand-wheel held on and at one projecting end-portion of the shaft 0. By turning this hand-wheel, the pinions D, D and their common shaft 0 are rotated, securing, as is obvious, a movement. of the pulley along the parallel rods B ,B in either one or the other direction according to the direction in which the hand-wheel is turned, and thereby, if in one direction, the pulley is brought against and made to tighten up the belt G and in the other direction the pulley is removed from contact with said belt and so the belt is loosened, it being of course understood that the belt is running properly therefor.

To hold the pulley in either position stated, as is plain it should be when in position of contact with the belt as has been stated,

means are provided as follows.

a H is a circular disk at one side of and extending beyond the periphery of the pinion D with which, as shown, it is integral and turns as said pinion and its shaft 0 are rotated by means of the hand-wheel F.

a is a series of square sided notches around the periphery of the disk H preferably at equal distances apart, and for t he engagement of a suitably shaped lug or projection b of a hand pawl or lever J, at one end fulcrumed on the upper portion of a fixed arm K rising from the bearing-block B for the tubular shaft of the pulley. The pawl J engaged with a notch of the disk H holds the pulley against moving from the position in which it may have been placed by means of the rotation and travel of the pinions D, D over the rack-bars E, E With the pawl J held out of engagement with the notches of the disk H, the pinions D, D are released for being rotated and thereby to place the pulley as may be desired and when it is so placed it is held as stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, isp The combination of a tubular shaft having a pulley fixed thereon, bearing-blocks'for opposite end-portioxis'of said shaft, fixed paraliel guide-rods, one beyond each side and both at right angles to the axis of. said pulley and each supporting one of said bearingblocks, a shaft extending through said tubulat-shaft and having pinions fixed thereon, a V

stationary rack-bar for each of said pinions, means to rotate said pinion-shaft, adi-sk held on said pinion-shaft and notched at its edge BENJ. F. RADFORD.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. BROWN, MARION E. BROWN. 

